Data from: Varroa destructor changes cuticular hydrocarbons to mimic its new host.

Varroa destructor is a honeybee ectoparasite. Its original host is the Asian honeybee, Apis cerana, but has also become a severe, global threat to the European honeybee, Apis mellifera. Previous studies have shown that Varroa can mimic a host’s cuticular hydrocarbons, enabling the parasite to escape the hygienic behavior of the host honeybees. By transferring mites between the two honeybee species, we further demonstrate that Varroa mites are able to mimic the new hosts’ cuticular hydrocarbons, even when they are artificially transferred to a different species. Moreover, in our study, a mite from the original host, A. cerana, is more efficient in mimicking either species (A. mellifera or A. cerana). This remarkable adaptability may explain their relatively recent host-shift from A. cerana to A. mellifera.